“Absolutely not forgotten”: Fans remember IndyCar star Dan Wheldon on his birth anniversary

14 years after his tragic passing, IndyCar fans are celebrating the late Dan Wheldon on what would have been his 47th birthday. The British driver sadly passed away in a freak accident during a race at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway.

Wheldon, who in 2011 was partaking in the open-wheel racing series on a part-time basis, had entered the season finale after then-series president Randy Bernard set a $5 million prize to be split between a driver and a randomly selected fan—if the driver won from the back of the grid. Wheldon, who was no stranger to winning on ovals, including the Indy 500 earlier that season, opted to embrace the challenge.

However, while the race began on a largely positive note for him, including several overtakes, it quickly turned into a tragedy. On the 11th lap of the 200-lap event, a 15-car accident—of which Dan Wheldon was a part—occurred on the second turn. The 33-year-old, while trying to avoid the pile-up, clattered into the rear of Charlie Kimball and was subsequently launched airborne at approximately 99 feet above the ground before crashing into the catch fence and safety barrier.

Dan Wheldon was quickly attended to and airlifted to the hospital. Sadly, he was pronounced dead upon arrival at the University Medical Center of Southern Nevada. The incident, which marked the first driver fatality in the open-wheel series since Paul Dana in 2006, brought IndyCar safety—especially at high-speed ovals like Las Vegas Motor Speedway—under serious scrutiny.

Now, more than a decade after the incident and on what would have been his 47th birthday, fans of the series paid tribute to Dan Wheldon on X.

A fan paying tribute wrote:

“Gone but absolutely not forgotten.”

Frazer

@FJZ05

LINK

Gone but absolutely not forgotten.

Another fan, who recalled a memory of the 2005 IndyCar Series champion, commented:

“RIP Danny, great guy—he was an awesome racer. Met him when he first came from the UK to join Michael A.”

A third fan posted:

“Met him before the Indy 500 the year he passed away and he was so kind to me. Took some time out of his busy day to talk to me and it’s something I’ve never forgotten. Even had an autograph from him on a tshirt (that my mom sadly washed). Happy heavenly birthday Dan.”

A fourth fan, speaking of Dan Wheldon’s son, shared:

“His son Sebastian won an F4 race this weekend—what a fitting win for his dad.”

What Will Power said about safety after Dan Wheldon’s crash

Veteran driver Will Power shared his thoughts following the unfortunate accident of Dan Wheldon. The Australian driver criticized the safety conditions of the Las Vegas Speedway oval.

The Team Penske driver, who was among the few individuals to speak to the media following the incident, stressed that several drivers had harboured concerns about safety and the possibility of a crash occurring prior to the commencement of the oval race. Via ESPN, he stated in December 2011:

"We knew that was the case before we even started the race, because it's been the case at (ovals) where you can run multi-grooves. The biggest problem we face is it's almost like driving on the highway at full speed and you can't get away from anyone.”

"It's the same thing NASCAR has with Daytona and Talladega, and when they have the big one, the consequences aren't nearly as bad as in IndyCar. We can't race in a pack. You just can't in open-wheelers. There's no room for error."

While the oval race ended in the most unceremonious manner with the death of Dan Wheldon, Will Power also left the race with an injury to his back. The 2011 race at the Las Vegas Speedway remains the last time the IndyCar Series has visited the Vegas circuit to date.